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In a lot of ways, Burn After Reading is a throwback for the brothers Coen, more reminiscent of their 80s and 90s films than more recent works like O’ Brother Where Art Thou, Intolerable Cruelty, The Ladykillers or even No Country for Old Men. The storyline is classic Coens; a complicated, noir-ish caper with multiple plot threads converging and a wry sense of humor full of quotable dialogue. It’s a mixing of genres and moods – sometimes realistic, other times silly, sometimes mockingly thrilling while other times legitimately tense. Like the best of their films, and in the style that has come to define them, Joel and Ethan Coen have taken many well established influences and mashed them all together to create something utterly their own.

While Coen brothers films have always had excellent casting, this is the first film of theirs where the acting really stands out more than anything else. Every single performer in the all-star cast fits their roles to a “T”, bringing them to life in appealing ways. George Clooney hones the “idiot” persona he developed with the siblings in O Brother Where Art Thou and Intolerable Cruelty and raises it to a new level, and Frances McDormand seems to get the most entertaining and diverse roles of her career when she teams up with her husband and brother in law (consider the wildly different parts she took on in Fargo, this film and The Man Who Wasn’t There). Coen newcomers fare just as well; John Malkovich and Tilda Swinton use their well known personas to their greatest potential, and Brad Pitt is a true standout even in this cast of greatness. His dimwitted Chad Feldheimer is a buffoon the likes of which must be seen to be believed. Not only are his manchild mannerisms hilarious, but he brings a vacant stare to the role that is almost indescribable in how accurately he embodies a moron.

But in some ways the all star cast shining so brightly may be a disservice to the film; despite its A-list pedigree, Burn After Reading is not nearly as accessible as the cast makes it seem like it will be. And it’s not destined to be a cult classic, either – the humor is more amusing than laugh out loud funny (to place it in the context of their other work, it’s more like a light hearted Fargo than a Big Lebowski). Audiences looking merely for disposable “popcorn” entertainment may not quite know what to make of the film; a lot of it is more subtle than overtly satisfying. Burn After Reading has a slow build, with an admittedly somewhat dull first half. Audiences willing to accept it will realize that the film needs to be slow at first to create the mounting sense of “oh shit, this isn’t going to end well” as successfully as it does (assisted by a tense and unexpected score from longtime Coen collaborator Carter Burwell), but the fact remains that even at just over 90 minutes the screenplay takes its time getting into the meat of the story (but be patient; the wrap-up of the film is as entertaining as it is unexpected). Even longtime Coen brothers fans might come away slightly disappointed if their expectations are set too high. Like Intolerable Cruelty and The Ladykillers, when compared with their maverick earlier films Burn After Reading ultimately feels a little bit like a “safe” entry in their body of work.

But for mainstream audiences willing to see something that’s a little out there, and for Coen brothers fans that don’t mind if they restrain their over the top tendencies just a little bit, this is a solid film with an unmistakable style, unique sense of humor and brilliant merging of performers with material. Ultimately, it’s a rare achievement that is a shrewd business move that doesn’t sacrifice artistic integrity (something The Ladykillers didn’t succeed at nearly so well). Though it most likely won’t rake in the awards like No Country For Old Men did last year, and it won’t go down as a groundbreaking standout in the filmography of Joel and Ethan Coen, Burn After Reading is nonetheless unquestionably entertaining.

Grade: B+

- Jeff Latta